J. Jill to open in Mall at UTC

Women’s fashion retailer J. Jill will open a new store in the Mall at University Town Center come October.

The national chain, which sells women’s apparel, shoes and accessories, has a store inside Westfield Group’s Southgate Mall. It’s unclear if the retailer will close its existing store in Sarasota once the new mall opens later this year. J. Jill joins other national chains with stores in the Sarasota area that have committed to opening at the new mall, like Gymboree, Pottery Barn, Brooks Brothers, American Eagle Outfitters and Gap, among others.

J. Jill, a brand formerly under Talbots, was acquired by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2009. Two years later the company partnered with global investment firm, Arcapita to grow the business. The company was averaging 36 new store openings a year from 2004 to 2006, and now boasts full-line and outlet stores across the country.

The Mall at University Town Center will be the only enclosed mall to open this year in the United States. It is currently under construction at University Parkway and Interstate 75. Taubman Centers Inc. and Manatee County-based Benderson Development are the partners behind the mall. Department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Dillard’s will anchor the new mall, and 100 other national tenants like Apple, Anthropologie, Omega watch boutique and others, will open inside the 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.